Celebrity Scandals Spark Renewed Debate on South Korea's Cancel Culture

In a matter of days, three big names in South Korea's entertainment industry have made headlines in separate scandals that could derail their careers.

The allegations that have embroiled comedians Park Na-rae and Cho Sae-ho, as well as veteran actor Cho Jin-woong, are all different - ranging from workplace abuse to previous teenage detention to associations with a gang member.

But the results have been the same: departures from the television screens where they had worked their way up to become household names.

The scandals have also raised questions about the standards to which South Korea's public figures are held - especially in the entertainment industry.

Park Na-rae, one of the country's most successful female comedians, made headlines last week when two of her former managers lodged criminal complaints claiming she had verbally abused and physically assaulted them.

The 40-year-old had also made them do her personal chores, they alleged.

Park has denied these allegations and sued the former managers for blackmail, her agency said over the weekend.

She is separately being accused of receiving IV drips illegally at home, which violates the local medical law, local media reported - prompting a police investigation.

On Monday, Park Na-rae announced on social media that she had talked things through with her accusers, but would halt all broadcasting activities until things were 'clearly resolved'.

'As a comedian whose job is to bring laughter and joy, I cannot continue to be a burden to my programmes and colleagues,' she wrote on social media.

Another comedian who has come under scrutiny over the past week is Cho Sae-ho.

Rumours started swirling last week that the 43-year-old was friends with a prominent local gang member and had received money to promote the latter's business.

Backlash came swiftly, as social media users demanded that Cho Sae-ho be removed from the popular variety shows he hosted.

On Tuesday, Cho Sae-ho's agency announced that he would leave the shows - though it denied his links to the gang's business activities.

He stated he 'should have been more careful' with the people he met at events and decided to step down to not burden the programmes.

The abrupt announcement came after a viral news report that highlighted Cho Jin-woong's past, including allegations of robbery and sexual assault during his teenage years.

The 49-year-old's agency confirmed some wrongdoing in his youth, but denied that he sexually assaulted anyone.

Broadcasters have scrambled to erase him from their platforms, as a documentary series he narrated has already had its narration re-recorded.

The allegations facing Cho Jin-woong have stirred heated debates about how much public figures should be forgiven for past mistakes.

Critics argue for forgiveness, while others maintain that featuring him on-screen may retraumatize his past victims.

Culture critic Kim Sung-soo noted that South Korean audiences want to correct unacceptable behavior, often demanding public figures vanish from screens.

As the three entertainers reflect on their actions, audiences too are reconsidering how celebrities in South Korea are treated amidst this cycle of cancel culture.